A tough enough start to the week for punters with few favourites obliging, but Thursday should see the punters turn the tide, in the war with the bookies.
It’s almost impossible to say Unowhatimeanharry without putting on a cockney accent and he’s got to be the best “house to let” on day three at Cheltenham.
He ticks all the right boxes from a trends point of view and he won at the Festival last year. He’s not flashy but he stays and stays and then stays some more, which is handy if you are running in the Stayers Hurdle. He’s a tight price but the best bet of the day, and possibly the week.
The day opens with the JLT Novices chase where Yorkhill is favourite. This horse has many detractors and often looks like he is intent on doing everything to make victory difficult but has only tasted defeat once on a racecourse. This is by far his stiffest test to date over fences, but this is one Yorkhill can pass. The stronger pace will suit and Ruby Walsh will take care of the rest.
Presenting Percy would be a controversial winner of The Pertemps Final but the owner, trainer and jockey managed it last year and he has been well supported to follow in his stablemate’s hoofprints. Philip Hobbs is well represented and Golden Doyen could be the one to deliver the prize. The jockey booking is a slight concern, given Richard Johnston goes for a shorter priced stablemate. Golden Doyen was a graded winner as a juvenile and has run over fences, on the flat and over hurdles since then. He won a qualifier at Cheltenham and now is only rated two pounds higher than he was as a juvenile, It’s a tricky puzzle but Golden Doyen is an
The jockey booking is a slight concern, given Richard Johnston goes for a shorter priced stablemate. Golden Doyen was a graded winner as a juvenile and has run over fences, on the flat and over hurdles since then. He won a qualifier at Cheltenham and now is only rated two pounds higher than he was as a juvenile, It’s a tricky puzzle but Golden Doyen is an each-way contender.
Un de Sceaux and his connections will be the only ones cursing the glorious weather at Cheltenham on Wednesday, he’s favourite for the Ryanair Chase but prefers softer going. On that basis Un de Sceaux is opposable and perhaps the bigger priced of the two Michael O’Leary runners, Sub Lieutenant could be the one to oblige. Sub Lieutenant’s form in Ireland recently is rock solid and he’s won on better ground. He could be the one to break the Ryanair boss’s duck in his own race!
Diamond King has been all the rage on the preview circuit for the snappily titled Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase. It’s the kind of race one expects Jonjo O’Neill to have a a good record in, but the opposite is the case. Champagne at Tara looks weighted to change that . He was better than the winning distance suggested last time out and it would not be a surprise were he to improve for a step up in trip.
Let’s Dance should waltz home for Ruby Walsh, Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices hurdle, she was most impressive at Leopardstown when last seen and her only defeat over hurdles was against Apple’s Jade. Given how the week has gone for team Closutton so far this week, a bigger priced runner should be considered for some insurance and at a big price Coillte Lass for Paul Nicholls appeals each way after she was third behind Vroum Vroum Mag last time, now she’s back against novices 25/1 is attractive.
The Kim Muir is another race for amateur riders, so paying close attention to the top amateur riders is essential when assessing this race. Jamie Codd has won this race four times since 2009, he rides Squouateur this time. Doctor Harper was unseated when favourite for this race last year and much like Un Temps pour Tout on Tuesday it looks like a single target for the year has been identified. He was a four to one shot last year, he’s four times that price this time around to get the job done.
That would make it a magical week for Lisa O’Neill having captured the JT MacNamara National Hunt Chase on Tuesday
